Monsignor Charles Sangermano, right, blesses the bread creations at Conshohocken Italian Bakery’s for St. Joseph’s Day Wednesday, March 19, 2014. With him is bakery co-owner Dominic Gambone. Photo by Brendan Wills/Times Herald Staff.

CONSHOHOCKEN — The aroma of Dominic Gambone’s St. Joseph’s Day creations brought friends, family and the community together at the Conshohocken Italian Bakery Wednesday morning for a bread blessing ceremony led by Monsignor Charles Sangermano of Holy Savior Parish in Norristown.

For the past 20 years Gambone has opened his bakery to friends and family to celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph, whom Sangermano described as the provider of the Holy Family and foster father of Jesus.

“These are wonderful people. This good man has been faithful to the community for many years,” Sangermano said of Gambone and his family. “The idea is that bread is the staple of the home and Joseph is the head of the Holy Family. He would have been the one to provide for the family.”

According to Gambone’s daughter, Tina, the tradition of celebrating St. Joseph’s Day began when there was severe drought in Sicily during the Middle Ages, and Italians’ prayers to St. Joseph were answered with rainy weather and renewed crops.

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“Sometimes people celebrate in their homes,” Sangermano said. “People pray to St. Joseph to help them provide for their family and help those in need.”

Traditionally, the bread is baked into figures associated with St. Joseph, such as staffs and hammers, because he was a carpenter.

Every year on March 19, Gambone shows he is a man of tradition, baking his bread into ornate baskets colored with breads, staffs, hammers, hearts, and crosses in different styles.

Always trying to innovate, this year he tried his hand at bread alligators complete with dark eyes made from pumpernickel and teeth made from seeds. The ridges of the alligators’ backs were pricked up to look like scales by Gambone’s dexterous fingers.

This year, the Gambone family opened up the bakery to the community for the celebration.

Reading verses from the Bible and saying a prayer for the community, Sangermano blessed the bread.

Following the ceremony, dishes of sausages, quiche, filo dough pastries, rolls, French toast and blueberry bread-pudding were shared by the gathered community. Friends left with bags full of bread and pastries.

With the help of family friend Hank Cisco, leftovers will be taken to Regina Nursing Center on Fornance Street, Brandywine Senior Living at Senior Suites on New Hope Street,and Powerback Rehabilitation on Pine Street, all in Norristown, and shared among the residents.